#NigeriaDecides2023: US senator calls on government to show restraint in passing election results
A US Senator representing Idaho, Jim Risch, has called on the Joe Biden-led government to show restraint by embracing the just-concluded presidential elections in Nigeria.
The senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said in a statement Thursday, "It is disappointing to see the administration rush to pass the result when the full picture of what happened over the of this electoral process remains to be seen".
The ongoing electoral process in Nigeria is widely seen as deeply flawed by election observers and many Nigerians, Mr. Risch said.
On Wednesday, US State Department Spokesman Ned Price congratulated Nigeria's President-elect Bola Tinubu and all political leaders on the results of the presidential election.
He however acknowledged that many Nigerians and some of the parties have expressed frustration with the way the process was conducted and the shortcomings of the technical elements which were used for the first time in a presidential election cycle .
Mr. Risch added that he has expressed similar concerns in other areas of US-Nigeria relations.
“I fear that this rush to judgment will undermine our ability to be an effective partner to all Nigerians, especially given their longstanding desire for democracy,” he said.
As Nigeria heads towards gubernatorial elections on March 11, the senator urged the United States to be more concerned with supporting the Nigerian people and their democratic aspirations than embracing the Nigerian government.< /p>
Grievances
The PDP and the LP vehemently rejected the election results calling on the electoral commission, INEC, to annul the elections.
The election results announced by INEC showed that Mr. Tinubu garnered a total of 8,794,726 votes to beat Atiku who received a total of 6,984,520 votes, and Mr. Obi who came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes.
Both sides held press conferences to make their case and challenge the statement.
They have filed separate legal actions challenging the election result in the Abuja Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal acts as the Court of Petitions for presidential elections where presidential election results are challenged by aggrieved candidates.
They both filed separate ex parte requests, begging to be allowed to inspect sensitive documents that INEC used in the conduct of the presidential poll last Saturday.
The Labor Party on Friday obtained clearance from the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja for access to all sensitive documents deployed by INEC for the conduct of the February 25 presidential election.
Joseph Ikyegh, who led an appeals court panel, ordered INEC to allow Atiku and Mr. Obi to inspect election materials.
A US Senator representing Idaho, Jim Risch, has called on the Joe Biden-led government to show restraint by embracing the just-concluded presidential elections in Nigeria.
The senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said in a statement Thursday, "It is disappointing to see the administration rush to pass the result when the full picture of what happened over the of this electoral process remains to be seen".
The ongoing electoral process in Nigeria is widely seen as deeply flawed by election observers and many Nigerians, Mr. Risch said.
On Wednesday, US State Department Spokesman Ned Price congratulated Nigeria's President-elect Bola Tinubu and all political leaders on the results of the presidential election.
He however acknowledged that many Nigerians and some of the parties have expressed frustration with the way the process was conducted and the shortcomings of the technical elements which were used for the first time in a presidential election cycle .
Mr. Risch added that he has expressed similar concerns in other areas of US-Nigeria relations.
“I fear that this rush to judgment will undermine our ability to be an effective partner to all Nigerians, especially given their longstanding desire for democracy,” he said.
As Nigeria heads towards gubernatorial elections on March 11, the senator urged the United States to be more concerned with supporting the Nigerian people and their democratic aspirations than embracing the Nigerian government.< /p>
Grievances
The PDP and the LP vehemently rejected the election results calling on the electoral commission, INEC, to annul the elections.
The election results announced by INEC showed that Mr. Tinubu garnered a total of 8,794,726 votes to beat Atiku who received a total of 6,984,520 votes, and Mr. Obi who came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes.
Both sides held press conferences to make their case and challenge the statement.
They have filed separate legal actions challenging the election result in the Abuja Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal acts as the Court of Petitions for presidential elections where presidential election results are challenged by aggrieved candidates.
They both filed separate ex parte requests, begging to be allowed to inspect sensitive documents that INEC used in the conduct of the presidential poll last Saturday.
The Labor Party on Friday obtained clearance from the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja for access to all sensitive documents deployed by INEC for the conduct of the February 25 presidential election.
Joseph Ikyegh, who led an appeals court panel, ordered INEC to allow Atiku and Mr. Obi to inspect election materials.
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